Deirdre Harvey :: Web Producer :: BBC Newsline ::
Newsroom :: BBC Broadcasting House :: Ormeau Avenue :: Belfast BT2 8HQ
::
ph. 02890 338264
http://bbc.co.uk/newsline
________________________________
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Brian Butterworth
Sent: 08 December 2008 11:42
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [backstage] Linguistic discrimination?
Interesting point of debate.
This logic says that it is possible only to have an opinion if
you speak the language of the country that you have a though about.
That's not the argument at all. The argument is that only
inviting comment in one language will mean that the comments made will
necessarily be contributed by the speakers of that language.
In logical terms the argument says nothing about what opinions
it is possible to hold. It does hold that it is only possible to take
part in a discussion if you understand and can speak/write in the
language in which it is taking place.
If you choose a language that is associated with a particular
cultural or socio-economic group to ask a question about a particular
country, clearly you are not going to be hearing the full range of
responses and potentially creating a false impression of opinion on a
subject.
This is just silly, I can like a part of Wales without speaking
Welsh!
Yes, yes you can. But no matter how much you "like" Wales or how
fervently you might wish to express that opinion, you won't get a chance
to when everyone else is speaking Welsh and you have no idea what
they're saying.
